Runnelstone Daymarks

The Runnelstone Daymarks are located on Gwennap Head. When lined up with each other, they indicate the Runnelstone, marked by a buoy about a mile offshore.

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Beacons were originally erected on the Runnelstone rock but were later washed away.  The rock was not big enough to build a lighthouse on.

The two Runnelstone daymarks were erected on Gwennap Head in 1821.  When lined up they mark the position of the Runnelstone rock.

The red cone is the southern mark and the white tower with the black conical roof was the northern mark.

The rear marker should be in sight when navigating from the sea, and should not be obscured by the front red cone.

The Runnelstone reef is marked by a buoy.

The daymarks can be reached from Porthgwarra car park and following the South West Coast Path.

The navigation marks were featured in Hammond Innes’ 1940 thriller The Trojan Horse, in which they are referred to as the “Cones of Runnel”.